by Jeremy Asher
Even though Robbie had an institutionalized look, he had a way with people, especially customers. Once people had enough time to see beyond the prison tats, they often found him to be very personable and helpful.
“Sarah Ramsey? Whispering Meadows Sarah?” Robbie asked. “What brings you here?”
Oh crap. Jesse picked up his broom and jogged to the front of the store.
Sarah released her handshake with Robbie and looked at Jesse. His stomach hurt, like a warm rock burning a hole into it.
Robbie turned to Jesse. “Oh, so this is what you were doing at lunch?”
“You can go now, Robbie.”
Robbie looked at Sarah, shifted his weight to his back leg, brought a finger to his chin and grinned from ear to ear. “I don’t know, Ponyboy. I think you might need some back-up. This one looks like more than you can handle.”
“Robbie. You can go now.”
Robbie gave Sarah a look. “Can you please take it easy on him? He’s kind of irritable these days.”
Sarah smiled. “I’ll try.”
“And when you’re ready for the real deal you know where to find me.”
“Robbie!” Jesse shouted.
“I know, I know. I’m leavin’. You two love birds be safe. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He walked over to the front door. “You probably shouldn’t do anything I would do either.” His laughter lingered after he exited the pet shop.
When he was gone, Sarah said, “He hasn’t changed then.”
“He has his moments.” Jesse held the broom with both hands in front of him. “What can I do for you?”
She looked around the shop as if stalling to answer and then turned her gaze back to Jesse. “I just felt bad for the way we left things. I wanted you to know that I didn’t mean anything bad by bringing up the past. After ten years, I’m sure that’s the last thing you want to talk about.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
Her long hair, flawless smooth skin, and a smile like something out of a toothpaste commercial made it difficult to push her away. But as much as he wanted her to stay, he knew a friendship wasn’t possible. She knew too much. He took a couple of swipes with the broom before saying, “Don’t sweat it.”
A puppy let out a shriek, drawing Sarah’s attention. “Aw,” she said, walking over to it. “What’s the matter, baby?” She reached inside the cage and rubbed his fuzzy white and gold coat.
Jesse walked over to the cage of pups. “He’s not happy when anyone comes into the store and refuses to pet him.”
“He’s so small.” She laughed when he stood up and rested his paws on the side of the cage.
“He’s the runt. It doesn’t stop him from trying to play with the other pups though. They usually trample him, but he always gets back up and comes back for more.” The puppy started leaping as if trying to escape and then licked Sarah’s fingers. “I think he likes you.” Jesse watched the pup gently nibble at her finger as she rubbed his belly. Her smile alone was enough to make the worst of days good. “You never asked me how we got the name Sam’s Pet Shop.”
She shot Jesse a curious look. “Well, it’s definitely not named after you, or your brother, and I thought you said that your uncle’s name was August. So where did the name come from?”
“When my uncle retired he told us that he wanted to start his own business. It had been a dream of his for years. Of course, it took some convincing when it came to Aunt Sherry. She had envisioned buying a place down south for retirement. Somewhere close to the beach.”
“I can see that.”
“August’s Pet Shop wasn’t ringing for him, so he asked me what I thought. Having never owned a pet, let alone a pet store, I didn’t know what to name it. Then for some reason an image of the willow tree popped into my mind.”
Sarah looked confused. “I don’t get it.”
“My first time at the willow tree was the day you took me there. To show me the place where you and your father had buried your golden retriever.”
“Sam.” The word was little more than an exhalation. “You named this place after my dog?”
Jesse nodded. Sarah looked up at him. The light shining through the window brought out a million shades of blue from her eyes. He wanted to lean in closer, feel the soft skin of her face, and taste her lips the way he had done that day beneath the willow tree. The last memory he had of her. Then the little fur ball let out another yelp and Jesse resumed sweeping.
“Oh my goodness,” Sarah said, picking up the puppy. “Someone’s starving for attention.” She brought him up to her cheek, letting him rub his soft fur against her skin.
“Now you’re spoiling him.”
“That’s impossible. You can’t spoil something this sweet.” She set him inside the cage. “Don’t worry, Little Jess, I’ll be back to see you sometime soon.”
Jesse looked up at her and shot her an are-you-kidding-me look. “Little Jess? That’s what you’re naming him?”
She placed her hands into her pockets and offered up a tiny grin. “What can I say? He’s so adorable.”
Jesse felt the blood rushing to his cheeks. He went back to sweeping to keep her from noticing his state of embarrassment.
“There is one more thing,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know if you have any plans this weekend. But if you don’t, I’m throwing a party for someone and I’d like for you to come.”
“What kind of a party?”
“A surprise birthday party.”
Little Jess barked and Sarah placed her hand inside the cage and rubbed his head.
Although Jesse remained uncertain about a relationship with Sarah, he had to admit that he was curious. “For whom?”
“My fiancé.”
Relief should have flooded Jesse at that revelation—but instead the news was like a punch to the gut. “You’re engaged?” He looked at her hand; her finger was unadorned.
Sarah put her hands back into her pocket. “His name’s Kevin. It was a spur of the moment deal. We haven’t had a chance yet to get a ring.”
Jesse was taken aback. In the short time they’d reconnected she hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend, much less a fiancé. “So when’s the big day?”
“Four weeks.”
His grip tightened on the broom. “Four weeks,” he said. “Wow, that’s soon. How long have you guys been engaged?”
“For about three weeks. But we’ve been together for about two years now.”
Jesse was floored. What could he say? Nothing he said or did now would change the past ten years of their lives. Nothing. Besides, with her engaged, there was no risk in hanging out with her. Love was an impossibility and there was a sense of comfort and safety in that realization. “Well, congratulations. I guess when you know, you know.”
Sarah smiled but said nothing.
Jesse set the broom off to the side. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it.”
The smile faded on Sarah’s lips. “Please.” Her soft and sweet voice rang through the darkest regions of his heart. “You’re the only friend from New Haven that I have here and I’d love for you to be there.”
Jesse took a towel from his back pocket and wiped his hands. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Sarah wrapped her arms around him. “It means a lot to me.” Her sweet floral fragrance begged him to return the hug, to never let go. His pulse quickened as he found her to fit perfectly within his arms.
Jesse knew then that he shouldn’t go to the party.
Chapter 7
Robbie
Robbie watched as Jesse stood in front of a mirror, buttoning the top buttons of his dress shirt and then combing his hair. “So you’re goin’ to the party after all?”
Jesse nodded, then ran his hands through hair, adding the final touches. “Are you sure you’ll be fine here?”
“Positive.”
“I already fed the pups and reptiles. The water dishes probably need changin
g out with the kittens. One of them is still knocking the bowl over. And the new supplies—”
“Need put away.” Robbie straightened Jesse’s collar. “This isn’t my first day on the job, you know.” Robbie hated when Jesse went all dad-like on him. Jesse was the younger brother, not him. After straightening Jesse’s collar, Robbie reached up and messed his hair back and forth. Jesse let out a long breath, turned back toward the mirror and began fixing his hair. “Are you going to be fine?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You goin’ to this rich chick’s party and hanging with her high society friends. You might be a college boy, but you’re still a Malone.”
“Don’t you worry about me.” Jesse tucked in his shirt. “Besides, I’m not staying long. I’m just going because Sarah wanted me to go. I’m the only one here that she knows from the old neighborhood.”
Robbie shook his head. “First Kate and now Sarah. What’s with you and rich chicks anyways?”
“They’re just friends.”
“Friends that leave at six o’clock in the morning?”
Jesse’s eyes narrowed.
“I know about your little sleepovers,” Robbie said. “Aunt Sherry has seen Kate leaving just as the sun comes up, and she never looks like she’s just stopped by for breakfast, if you know what I mean.”
Jesse opened his mouth as if to say something and then stopped. Instead, he turned back toward the mirror. “What about you? You and Felicia seem to be spending quite a bit of time together. That doesn’t seem very casual either.”
“It’s not.” There was something about Felicia, something calming. And something he hadn’t felt with another woman before. Most women found his temper to be primitive, edgy, and often sexy. But not Felicia. Everything from the sound of her voice to her soothing touch left him feeling serene. She took him to a place he had never been before and he loved it. “Things are going great with her.”
“That’s awesome, man.”
“She’s stopping by tonight. Bringing me dinner.”
“That’s cool,” Jesse said. “Aunt Sherry will be by later. Have you introduced them yet?”
“No.” Robbie rubbed his hands together. “But that’s the plan.”
“Well, good luck with that.” Jesse grabbed his wallet and keys and headed for the door.
Robbie grabbed Jesse’s arm. “Untuck it. You look like you’re going to prom.”
Jesse looked in the mirror and turned from side to side. “Are you sure?”
Robbie nodded. Jesse pulled his shirt out and smoothed out the wrinkles with his hands.
“So when do I get to meet Felicia?”
“Soon.”
Robbie looked Jesse in the eyes. It had been a long time since they had had a conversation this long without raising their voices. Kind of like the days when Mom was still alive. She never let them fight. She had a peaceful demeanor, a trait she passed on to Jesse, along with much of her looks. Same thick brown hair, thin face, and of course the same large blue eyes.
“What is it?”
Robbie looked away. “Nothing.” He turned to walk out of the apartment.
Jesse grabbed his shoulder. “I know that look and it’s not nothing. What’s on your mind?”
“Just be careful tonight. Girls like Sarah and Kate don’t get guys like us. They come from different worlds.”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
*
For the tenth time in the past hour, Robbie glanced out of the pet shop’s window. The sun was making its descent behind the brownstone buildings, dyeing the clouds pink and purple. The anxious churning in his gut turned him away from nature’s beauty and back toward the clock. Thirty minutes past the hour. Where was she?
Felicia was never late. He let out a long sigh that cast a cloud of fog on the glass door. He traced a heart with his finger, then shook his head. “Robbie, what has gotten into you, man?” He brought a palm to the glass, then paused when he saw Felicia round the corner, framed almost perfectly in the heart he had drawn. The anxiety left his body like steam from a hot bath, leaving him warm and calm. Never had a woman been able to calm the beast within Robbie by just simply showing up.
Robbie held open the door for her. She stepped inside, letting in a blast of fall. Then she flashed a quick smile—but it lasted only a moment. Something wasn’t right. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
Robbie grabbed the paper sack she was holding. “I was startin’ to worry. Everything all right?”
She looked down and nodded.
“Felicia,” Robbie said, not buying it. “What is it?”
Felicia took a few steps closer and placed a chilly hand on his cheek. She gently rubbed his stubbly jaw with her thumb. Her eyes scanned his face.
“Now you’re starting to freak me out,” Robbie said. “What’s goin’—”
She placed her fingers on his lips, silencing him. Robbie noticed a shine in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. She said, “I love you.”
The words hung in the air. Three words they hadn’t yet spoken to each other, although Robbie had felt them. Having never spoken these words to a woman outside of his mom and aunt, he waited for the right moment. And there she stood, the first woman he had ever loved. Large green eyes, olive skin, and long wavy hair the color of night. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for.
Just as he was about to say those three little words, the gravity of her lips pulled him into her. His eyes shut and his lips opened, welcoming the warmth of her kiss. Their tongues danced gracefully inside of his mouth, intertwining to the harmony of the emotion they both felt. He placed his free hand on the side of her neck, sliding his fingers up until he felt the muscles in her jaw flex as she pushed further into his mouth.
Robbie knew if he didn’t stop now, there would be no stopping him from taking her upstairs and to bed. He pulled back slowly, breathed deeply, and prepared to say the words that were burning a hole into his heart.
Felicia stopped him from speaking again, but not with a kiss. Instead, she placed her magical speech-removing fingers on his lips. Then she shook her head. “Please, don’t feel like you have to say anything right now. I told you this because it’s what I was feeling the moment I walked through this door. I don’t want you to feel as though you have to respond.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. Robbie placed his free arm around her and took in the sweet smell of her hair, not wanting to ever let go.
Robbie understood completely. If the situation had been reversed and he had said I love you first, he would have wanted her to wait for a moment when she felt ready, instead of obligated. But he didn’t feel obligated. He felt it, too, as real as the kiss they had just shared. He swallowed, looked into her green eyes and—
“So,” she said, pulling away. “Are you hungry?”
Robbie looked down at the brown bag in his hand, feeling the moment pass.
“I’m starved.” He gave the sack a few gentle bounces up and down. “What’s in here?”
“Lasagna. You said it was your favorite.”
“It feels like you brought the whole pan.”
“What can I say? I’m starving too. Besides, you can have the leftovers.” She rubbed Robbie’s stomach.
“I’m not sure this is considered training food.”
Robbie placed his arm around Felicia and led her up to the loft. He paused before opening the door to the breakroom. He had never brought a girl to meet his Aunt Sherry. He wondered if Felicia was more nervous than he was. “Are you ready?”
“I am if you are.”
Robbie opened the door and found his aunt sitting at the round wooden table in the center of the room. A crossword in front of her, the eraser end of a pencil was pressed to her lips.
“Aunt Sherry,” Robbie said.
She simply held up a finger, eyes still locked on the puzzle.
Felicia looked at Robbie and he whispered, “She’s a bit eccentric, but she’s awesome.”<
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Robbie may have bumped heads with his Uncle August growing up, but Aunt Sherry had always been the one who never gave up on him. And he always admired the way she dismissed what others said about her, and what they had said about him.
“Lunar valley?” Aunt Sherry looked up at Robbie. “Four letters.”
“What?” Robbie asked.
“Mare,” Felicia answered.
Aunt Sherry wrote down the word. “Well, I’ll be.” Both Robbie and Aunt Sherry looked at Felicia. “Robbie told me that you were beautiful. But he never mentioned how smart you are.”
Felicia looked at Robbie. “Is that so?”
“You are full of surprises,” he said. Brains and good looks—he wondered what she even saw in him.
Aunt Sherry stood up and walked over to them. Felicia’s smile brought light into the room. Given its welcoming power along with her charming personality, Robbie knew right then that Aunt Sherry was going to love her.
“Aunt Sherry, this is Felicia,” he said.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Felicia said, extending her hand.
Aunt Sherry waved it away and pulled her in for a hug. Without missing a beat, Felicia welcomed his aunt into her arms, as if she had been expecting it. “It’s so nice to meet you. Robbie has told me so much about you.”
“He has?” Felicia sounded surprised.
Aunt Sherry pulled back, leaving her hands on Felicia’s shoulders. “She’s gorgeous,” she said, looking at Robbie.
“Robbie’s told me a lot about you, too,” Felicia said.
“I just bet he has,” she said. “Well, let me tell you something about Robbie.” Aunt Sherry leaned into Felicia and whispered, “He’s a sweet boy. Don’t let those grizzly tattoos and tough guy demeanor fool you. He’s all heart.”
“Oh, I’m not fooled. I saw him for the softy he really is after spending just five minutes with him.”
Still looking at Felicia, Aunt Sherry placed an approving hand on Robbie’s shoulder. “Things haven’t been easy for him.” She turned her gaze to Robbie. “But he’s a diamond in the rough.”
